Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at background briefing.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll look into a number of stories and issues in the news.

We will begin with Trump's attacks on free speech on campuses,

which, combined with the far-right radical delusions of Cash Patel and Dan Bongino at the FBI,

that the country is being overrun by radical left lunatics,

portends a possible roundup of Trump's critics and those on Patel's enemies list.

Joining us is Tom McIntyrethus, a professor of history at Chapoil University,

where he teaches courses in British, modern European and military history.

His research and writing covers international security, terrorism, unconventional conflict and military history.

A regular contributor to the Hill.

He has taught counterterrorism courses at venues around the world as part of the United States Department of Defense's

Counterterrorism Fellowship Program and is the author of six books including new terrorism,

myths and reality and violent extremists, understanding the domestic

and international terrorist threat.

Then we'll examine the dilemma Senate Democrats face whether to vote for the terrible

House bill to keep the government funded or stand up to Trump and Musk and risk being blamed

for a government shutdown.

Joining us is Robert Kramer, a long-time political

organizer and strategist, an author of Stand Up Straight, How Progressives Can Win. He is a partner in

Democracy Partners, a senior strategist for Americans United for Change, and his latest book is

Nuts and Bolts, the formula for progressive electoral

success. Then finally you look into how Trump's losing strategy of sucking up to Putin in the

...